Kaziah Liz Mejo Crowned Miss Universe India 2026
Kaziah Liz Mejo, a 19-year-old law student from Kerala, was crowned Miss Universe India 2026 at a grand finale held at Zee Studios in Jaipur on August 23. She emerged victorious from a field of 52 national finalists, succeeding Miss Universe India 2025 Manika Vishwakarma, who passed the crown to her during the ceremony.
Mejo, hailing from Mavelikkara in Kerala's Alappuzha district, becomes the first Keralite to win the national title. She will now represent India at the 75th Miss Universe pageant in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in November.
The Winner's Background
Born in 2007, Mejo grew up in Abu Dhabi, where she attended Emirates National School, St Joseph's School, and Abu Dhabi Indian School. She began classical dance training in 2012 and has since added singing, drumming, and violin to her repertoire. She is also a model and made her acting debut in the Malayalam film Shylock.
Her pageant journey includes winning Miss Teen Diva 2024, finishing as first runner-up at Miss Teen International 2025, and winning Miss Universe Kerala 2026, becoming the youngest state titleholder. India Today reports that she is also an advocate for sustainability in menstrual hygiene.
The Finale and the Winning Answer
During the final round, Mejo was asked, "Can you describe the sound of silence in your life?" by Rajiv K Shrivastava, founder of Act Now and director of Social Projects at Glamanand Group. Her response, which she connected to the calm before stepping onto a stage, was widely noted in coverage.
"To me, silence, I believe, is what I experienced just a few minutes ago. The calm before I enter a stage. I was born and brought up on stage as a classical dancer, as an actor, and, of course, as a pageant lover," she said, according to Mashable and Free Press Journal.
She continued, "I fell in love with the world of pageants, with the stage, with the spotlight, having a microphone in my hand. But it seems difficult to believe, but I feel silence, and I feel calm, and I feel at my most peaceful self right before I enter a stage because I feel at home."
Runners-Up and Judging Panel
Tamil Nadu's Vaishnavi Gannesh was named first runner-up and also crowned Miss International India 2026. Gujarat's Anushri Satavlekar finished as second runner-up, while Maharashtra's Tejaswini Shrivastava and Uttarakhand's Anubha Vashisth were third and fourth runners-up, respectively.
The judging panel, as reported by multiple outlets, was led by Sushmita Sen, India's first Miss Universe (1994), and included former titleholders Celina Jaitly (2001), Urvashi Rautela (2015), and Rhea Singha (2024). Other members were film producer Pragya Kapoor, entrepreneur Visha Ladhia, Miss Charm 2025 Anna Blanco, and dermatologist Dr Stuti Khare Shukla.
Selection Process and Pageant Details
The grand finale at Zee Studios in Jaipur concluded a months-long selection process. Organizers revealed that around 8,000 to 9,000 aspirants were considered. The final 52 contestants were chosen through regional state pageants, final auditions, wildcard entries, and an NRI category, according to Hindustan Times.
The finalists participated in several preliminary events, including a sashing ceremony, speech and introduction rounds, a gala event, and a swimsuit competition. Contestants were evaluated on confidence, eloquence, and stage presence.
The event was streamed live on the Glamanand YouTube channel. The Glamanand Group has organized the pageant since acquiring the Indian franchise in 2024. The first edition under the new franchise was won by Rhea Singha in 2024, followed by Manika Vishwakarma in 2025.